Giacomo Longo

Politecnico di Milano

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Sebastián González

Politecnico di Milano

Fabio Antonacci

Politecnico di Milano

Augusto Sarti

Politecnico di Milano

Carolina Espinoza

University of Chile

Jon Dewitt E. Dalisay

University of the Philippines Diliman

Mattia Lercari

Politecnico di Milano

T. Nania

Indiana University South Bend

Mark Rau

McGill University

Cooperative Institutions

Politecnico di Milano

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

University of Catania

Consorzio di Bioingegneria e Informatica Medica

Ingegneria dei Sistemi (Italy)

Instituto Politécnico Nacional

Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción

TRIUMF

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

University of British Columbia

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Using Mechanical Metamaterials in Guitar Top Plates: A Numerical Study

Applied Sciences (2022)

Mattia Lercari Sebastián González Carolina Espinoza Giacomo Longo Fabio Antonacci

It has recently been shown that the mechanical properties of thin, rectangular wooden plates can be tuned by carving them with specific patterns of perforations, effectively realising a 2D wooden mechanical metamaterial. Such a material is of great interest for the construction of musical instruments, as it could allow a new degree of creative control for makers. Furthermore, issues with the shrinking supplies of tone-woods could be alleviated as wood samples that don not meet the desired requirements could simply be altered, instead of being discarded. In this work, we study the effect of the use of these metamaterials in the soundboards of classical guitars. By way of simulations, we evaluate their impact on the modal behaviour and on the sound pressure level of the instrument, as well as on its ability to sustain the load exerted by the strings. Our results show that the metamaterials can tune the instrument’s response without compromising its structural integrity. We thus conclude that the use of wooden mechanical metamaterials in the soundboards of classical guitars is feasible and, in many ways, beneficial, not the least since it opens the door to using non-traditional woods with bespoke density and stiffness.

Guitar

Carving

10.3390/app12178619

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Influence of thickness profile and bracing pattern in the radiation patterns of archtop guitars

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2025)

Giacomo Longo Sebastián González Jon Dewitt E. Dalisay T. Nania Fabio Antonacci

In this study, we investigate the influence of the thickness profile of the top plate and bracing pattern on the vibrational and acoustic properties of archtop guitars through finite element simulations. Starting from a laser scan of a real archtop guitar, we develop a fully parametric three-dimensional model of the guitar body. The thickness profile is parametrically controlled by adjusting the lower surface while maintaining the fixed upper surface. Both geometric and numerical modeling techniques are used to analyze the mechanical behavior of the guitar, including modal analysis, and acoustic behavior, focusing on sound intensity, and directivity. Our simulations reveal that variations in the thickness profile significantly affect the modal response and sound radiation patterns. In particular, we highlight the relationship between the vibrational modes and radiation patterns, demonstrating that changes in thickness lead to shifts in eigenfrequencies and variations in radiated sound pressure levels. The models and simulation code are made openly available to facilitate further research in the acoustics of archtop guitars.

Guitar

Bracing

Directivity

Structural acoustics

Acoustic radiation

10.1121/10.0035805

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Sound synthesis of geometric and material changes in archtop guitars: towards the timbral design of musical instruments

NOISE-CON proceedings (2024)

Sebastián González Mark Rau Carolina Espinoza Giacomo Longo Fabio Antonacci

Through computer simulations and synthesis, our research studies the impact of various geometric and material modifications on archtop guitar sound. We use an accurate and realistic physical guitar model from which the bridge admittance and radiated sound pressure are computed. Subsequently, we synthesise the sound of this instrument via state-of-the-art methods for two different chords. The generated sound is then analysed in terms of traditional timbral descriptors. With this framework, it is possible to hear the design changes that the maker can perform in a guitar, paving the way for its timbral design, and bridging the gap between physical models and perception of sounds in musical instruments.

Guitar

Musical instrument

10.3397/in_2024_3711

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